Sheet-delivery apparatus.



No. 633,392. Patented Sept. I9, I899.

W. SCOTT. P

SHEET DELIVERY APPARATUS.

(Application filed Apr. 24, 1899.)

(No Model.)

No. 633,392. Patented Sept. l9, I899. W. SCOTT.

SHEET DELIVERY APPARATUS.

" backout of the U ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER SCOTT, OF PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY.

SHEET-DELIVERY APPARATUSQ" SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 633,392, dated September 19, 1899. Application filed s in 24. 1399. s al No. 714,178. (No md'tlel.)

To all whom it may concern." Be it known that I, WALTER SCOTT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Plainfield, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented an Improvement in Sheet-Delivery Apparatus, of which the following is a specification. I

I In the present improvements a slip-sheet is interposed between one printed sheet and i the next, and the'same is especially available inconnection with fine engravings or artistic work in whichthe slip-sheet is thin or tissue paper to prevent the printed matter smearing or becoming injured.

In printing-pressesavarietyof devices have been employed for delivering the sheets as printed, and slip-sheets have been applied between one printed sheet and the next, such slip-sheets being usually manipulated by hand. In the present improvement the slipsheets are upon a carriage or carrier that is reciprocated back and forth and an automatic device, such as an exhaustion lifter or separator, is employed to grasp the top sheet of the pile of slip-sheets and hold the same while the carriage and the pile are moved Way, and then the automatic device and the slip-sheet are moved down .to lay the slip-sheet upon the printed sheet. In the presentimprovement a device is employed for raising the pile of sheets at one end, so that the'top sheet will be in proper position to be grasped by the suction detaining device, and then this pile is moved away and such suction detaining device is lowered tobring the slip-sheet into position. The pile of sheets is returned to its normal position, the separatingdevice grasps audholds the top sheet, and the operations are repeated.

In the drawings, Figure 1 isa side elevation of the mechanism employed by me. Fig. 2 is a partial plan at one side of the apron and of the devices that actuate the roller thereof. Fig. 3 is an elevation and partial section at the end of the frame at one side of the machine. I Fig. 4 is a section of the main rack and the pinion forgiving motion to the same to move the slip-sheet carriage. Fig. 5 is a cross-section of the traveling support for one end of the slip-sheet carriage and of the racks and gearing for giving motion to the same,

Figs. 4- and 5 being in enlarged size. Figs.

e L, adapted to 6, 7, and 8 illustrate'modifications in the devices for grasping the end of the slip-sheet and lifting and holding the same while the carriage and pile of sheets pass away from beneath the upper sheet.

The side frames A of the pressare of usual character and adapted to receive the parts hereinafter described. The driving shaft gives motion to the bed (3, upon which is placed the stone or form from which the impression is taken, and the driving-shaft re ciprocates this bed by the wheel D and rack E in any known or usual manner. These parts that perform the printing may be of any desired character, and so, also, may be the delivery mechanism by which the printed sheet is conveyed by the belts F to the apron G, one end of which is fastened upon the cross-bar 2 and the other end is fastened to the apronroller H, is givenin any suitable manner to wind up the apron G from beneath the printed sheet, the roller H travelingalong with the apron as wound up, the end of the apron at the cross bar 2' remaining stationary, and I find that a convenient way of revolving the roller H is to provide tapes I, fastened at their ends to the roller H and wound in the opposite direction to the apron G, and these tapes I pass toa roller K or similar device that is provided with a spring by which the tapes I are keptunder tension, and as these'tapes I are wound upon the roller H, in theopposite direction to the apron 'G it is onlyneeessary to carry the-roller H backward and forward for the tapes I to unrollin one direction and the apron G to wind up simultaneously in the opposite direction, and when the roller H is moved the other way the apron G'unwinds and the tapes I are wound up.

Above the apron G is a slip-sheet carriage receive upon it the pile of slipsheets, and at one end are wheels L upon the tracks 3, one at each side of the machine, so that the slip-sheet carriage can be-rolled backward and forward endwise of the press and over the apron G, and the other end of the slip-sheet carriage is supported in any suitable manner, and motion is applied at this end to move the carriage endwise,

I find it advantageous to employ wheels L connected by links 4 to the supports for the and to this roller H a rotary motion only of the shaft K are shown in the drawin consequence of the gears 10 rolling upon wheels L and to apply an adjustable spring 1 N, acting upon a sling 5, that passes down j beneath the slip-sheet carriage, and the nut 1 6 around the rod 7 is employed to adjust the spring N, and thisspring is to be of a strength proportionate to the weight of the slip-sheets and carriage at this end, so that as the slipsheets are removed one by one, as hereinafter described, the strength of the spring will be sufficient to elevate this end of the slip-sheet carriage, so that the top sheet upon the pile of slip-sheets will be at the same level, or nearly so, at this end of the carriage until 5 the sheets are exhausted. The wheels L ad- 1 vantageously run upon the same tracks 3 as; the wheels L.

The roller H is tubular and has through it loosely a shaft K, that is supported near its 1 ends by rolling trucks M, there being one of these trucks at each side of the press, and each rolling truck has wheels 8 upon a track .1, so that the carriage and trucks move backward and forward with the apron-roller II as the roller is revolved in one direction to wind up the apron and in the other direction to unwind such apron.

. The apron G and tapes I are connected to the tubular roller H, so that this roller H and its shaft can be moved backward and forward independent of the rotation of the tube in winding up or unwinding the tapes and apron, and a convenient device for carrying this shaft or roller H backward and forward is next described.

There are gear-wheels 10, permanently fastened at each end of the shaft- K, engaging l stationary racks 11. The devices at one end ings, they being similar at the two ends, and

the tracks 11 the movements will be uniform at both sides of the press, and one of the gear-wheels 10 has upon it or permanently connected to it a second gear 12, which engages a sliding rack 13 upon the frame of the machine, and to this sliding rack 13 an endwise motion is given by the gear-wheel 14, that is revolved at the proper time by suitable mechanism-such, for instance, as the bevelgears 15 and 16, shaft 17, and bevel-gears 18 and l9-there being a shaft B, that receives its motion at the proper time from the motive power of the machine, acting advantaf geously through the gear D, that is moved by a rack E, connected to the bed 0 of the press, and the eperation'of this part is that as the 1 bed (3 goes backward and forward the rack 13 is also moved backward and forward simultaneously, and the teeth of this rack being in engagement with the gear 12 pull that: gear along bodily, carrying the shaft K and the'wheels 10 with it; but in consequence; of the gear-wheel 1O being'in engagement with the stationary rack 11 that rack 11 causes the gear-wheel 10 to revolve and roll l along over the rack 11 at a faster rate of speed than the movement of the sliding;

rack 13, because thc'gcar 12 is smaller than the gear 10, and for this reason a greater movement is given lengthwise of the press to the trucks M and the slip-sheet carriage than is given to the rack 13. Hence such rack 13 can be shorter than the rack 11, as illustrated in Fig. 2, and the motion that is given in this way is snflicient to carry the slip-sheet carriage entirely back, so that the end thereof is closely adjacent to the end of the conveying-belts F, and the parts are so timed that as the end of the printed sheet is discharged from between the conveying-belts F uponthe apron G the end thereof is in line, or nearly so, with the ends of the slip-sheets, and the movements are such that the slipsheet carriage and sheets travel along substantially together, the printed sheet being delivered upon the apron G and carried along over it as the apron is nnrolled.

A convenient means for carrying the printed sheet along over the apron G as it is nnrolled are the grippers 21, which hold the advancing end of the printed sheets against the cross-bar 22,which is in frontof the apronroller II, and hence travels alongwith the apron-roller as the apron is nnrolled, and the grippers draw the printed sheet along over the apron until the movement is completed. As the movement is completed in the one direction and the printed sheet drawn out fully upon the distended apron the grippers are opened by anysuitable devicc,and the printed T sheet is left upon the apron as the parts move back in the other direction, and the end of the printed sheet projects over the cross-bar 32, which bar travels along under the sheet as the apron is rolled up, and the sheet is allowed by this means to drop upon a table P as the apron is rolled up from beneath it, and during this operation the top sheet of the pile of slip-sheets is grasped and retained while the carriage moves away from under that sheet, and then such sheet is allowed to subside upon the printed sheet to form the intervening sheet between one printed sheet and the next, and the device for grasping the top slip-sheet and allowing the same to subside may be of any desired character. I have represented a pneumatic device, as hereinafter described, for this purpose.

I have represented avertical stud 23 upon the rolling truck M, passing through a bush- E ing upon the bottom of the slip-sheet carriage, so that the latter is reliably connected with the rolling truck, so that the two move together, and the bushing for the stud 23 is sufficiently loose to allow for the bottom of a the slip-sheet carriage being raised from time to time by the action of the spring N as the slip-sheets are taken elf.

At R an air-pump is represented with a piston receiving its motion from a crank-pin 24, and from the air-pnm p the tube 25 passes to the device which grasps and lifts the slipsheet by the atmospheric action. This pneumatic device for grasping the end of the slip resented as passing the top slip-sheet, and

turned to lower this end of the slip-sheet and upon the top slip-sheet, an

' tube S and also a sheet and holding it may be of any desired character InFigs. 1 and 3 a tube S is rcp across the slip-sheet carriage with downwardly-'projecting nipples, and there-is alever T, pivoted at 26 and having a roller at the other end acted upon by an incline U upon the bed C, and aspring U keeps the roller. of the lever T against the in- 'cline U, and the vertical portion S of the airtube slides in suitable guides and by a lin k to the end of the lever T. notch in the incline U to descend sufficiently is connected Hence the allows the air-tube S for the nipples to rest d at this moment the air-pump R exhausts the air sufficiently to cause the nipples to grasp the top slipsheet, and then the incline U siightlyraises the air-tube and nipples to lift the end of the slip-sheet, as indicated in Fig. 1, and as the bed 0 and the incline U move along together the air-tube S is moved downward, so that by' the time the slip-sheet carriage has reached its backward movement and the apron been rolled up the air-tube has carried the'slipsheet downward and the other end of the slip-sheet slides off the pile of sheets and drops upon the surface of theprinted sheet upon the table P, and. upon the return movement of the parts the incline U raises the airtube and brings it into position for theslipsheets to pass under it, and then the air-tube drops by the notch at the end of the incline U and such air-tube nipples rest upon the top slip-sheet ready for the movements to be repeated.

In Fig. 7 the air-tube S -is represented as adapted to receive a turning motion by a rod 27 and crank-arm, and the hollow arms extending out from the air-tube S are adapted to rest at their ends upon the top slip-sheetand grasp the same by the suction action for holding the sheet as the slip-sheetcarriagc and the pile of sheets pass away from beneath then the tube S can be drop the same upon the printed sheet as it falls upon the table P. I

Fig. (tillustrates a modification in the pneumaticsheet-holding device consisting of a vertically-movable frame 28, carrying the airroller 29 to' rest upon the top sheet of the pile of slip-sheets, and a pen dulum 30 ontheair-tube S3, with which the pile of sheets comes into contact, turns the air-tube into the position illustrated in Fig. 8, with the nipples of the air-tube resting upon thetop sheet in the pile of slip-sheets, so that the suction acts at this time to grasp and hold the top slip-sheet as the carriage and pile of slip-sheets are moved away from beneath the top sheet. In this instance the roller 29, resting upon the top of the pile of slip-sheets, allows the vertically lnoving frame 28 to occupy the desired position in relation to the slip-sheets whether there are few or many.

In the present improvement a sheet-delivering device illustrated by the belt receives for holding the a reciprocating movement, so that the printed heet is brought out into position, and the pile of sheets is also reciprocated, so as to be in position for thetop sheet to be taken off and lowered to bring the slip-sheet intoclose proximity to and above the printed sheet, so that the slip-sheet may fall accurately into position.

Some of the devices herein described are available even when the automatic devices sheet sheet is held by hand.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination with the sheet-delivery devices in a printing-press, of an apron to receive the printed sheet, means for-securing are removed and the 4 one end of the apron adjacent to the end of Y the sheet-delivery devices, a rollerat the other end of the apron, means for revolving the roller and rolling up the apron beneath the printed sheet, sheets over the apron, and means for moving the sameand automatic means for holdin-gthe and a carriage for the sliptop sheet in the pileof slip-sheets as the carriage and pile are moved along beneath the same, so that the slip-sheetfalls upon the printed sheet, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with the sheet-delivery devices in a printing-press, of an apron toreceive the printed sheet, means for securing one end of the apron adjacent to .the end of the sheet-delivery devices, a roller at the other end of the apron, means for moving the roller for rolling up the apron beneath the printed sheet, and a carriage for the slip-sheets over the apron and means for moving the same and automatic means for holding the top sheet in the pile of slip-sheets as the carriage and pile are moved along beneath the same, so that the slip-sheet falls upon the printed sheet, tapes connected at one end to the apron-roller and wound in the opposite direction to the apron, and means for holding the ends of the tapes, substantially as set forth.

The combination with the slip-sheet car-- riage of an apron beneath the same, a rollerupon which the apron is wound, a truck and means for moving the roller back and forth in winding up and unwinding the apron and a connection between the truck and the slipsheet carriage whereby they are moved together, and automatic means for holding the top slip-sheet near one'end as the pile of slipsheets is moved away from beneath such top sheet, substantially as specified.

4. The combination with the slip-sheetcarriage, of an apron beneath the same, a roller upon which the apron is wound, a truck and means for moving the roller back and forth in winding up and'unwinding the apron and a connection between the truck and the slipsheet carriage whereby they are moved together, and nipples and means for exhaust-' ing the air and holding the top slipsheet near one end as the pile of slip-sheets is moved away from beneath such top sheet, substantially as set forth.

IIO

, slip-sheetcarriage,

5. The combination with the slip-sheet carriage, of an apron beneath the same, a roller upon which the apron is wound, a truck and means for moving the roller back and forth in winding up and unwinding the apron and a connection between the truck and the slipsheet carriage whereby they are moved together, an adjustable spring for raising the slip-sheet carriage at the front end, nipples and means for exhausting the air and holding the top slip-sheet near one end as the pile of slip-sheets is moved away from beneath such top sheet, substantially as set forth.

6. In a printing-press, the combination of a reciprocating sheet-delivery, a reciprocating slip-sheet carriage, means for keeping the pile of slip-sheets at a uniform height and automatic means for retaining a slip-sheet and delivering it with a printed sheet, substantially as set forth.

7. In a printing-press, the combination of a reciprocating sheet-delivery, a reciprocating slip-sheet carriage, rising-and-falling frame and means thereon for holding a slip-sheet, and a roller or its equivalent which shall come in contact with the slip-sheet pile and thereby regulate the height of the retaining device when coming in contact with the slipsheets, substantially as set forth.

8. In a printing-machine, the combination of a reciprocating sheet-delivery, a reciprocating slip sheet carriage, an automatic retainer and means for lowering and raising same to deliver the slip-sheets, substantially as set forth.

9. In a printing-press, the combination of a reciprocating sheet-delivery, a reciprocating slip-sheet carriage, an automatic sheet-retaining device and means for raising the same above the level of the pile of slip-sheets and lowering the same thereon about the time of the extreme travel of the slip-sheet carrier to seize a sheet and raise it slightly as the reciprocating carrier moves backward and atterward to lower the sheet into position, substantially as specified. r

10. In a printing-press, the combination of a reciprocating sheet-delivery,a reciprocating an air-suction device for grasping and retaining the top sheet in the pile, an adjustable spring for lifting the pile of sheets and mechanism for raising and lowering the suction device so that the slip-sheet is lifted from the pile and then laid down upon the printed sheet, substantially as specified.

11. In a printing-press, the combination of a reciprocating sheet-delivery and removable slip-sheet carriage and springs for sustaining one end and means for adjusting the springs to keep the upper side of the pile of slip-sheets at a uniform height according to the size and number of the sheets to be sustained, substantially as set forth.

12. In a printing-press, the combination of a reciprocating sheet-delivery,a reciprocating slip-sheet carriage, means for connecting the same, a movable and a stationary rack,wheels meshing therewith and connected to the sheetdelivery and means substantially as specified and actuated by the reciprocating type-bed for moving the sheet-delivery and slip-sheet carriage together, substantially as specified.

13. The combination with means for delivering the printed sheet, of the slip-sheet carriage, an apron to support the printed sheet,

a roller upon which the apron is wound, a

truck and means for moving the roller back and forth in winding up and unwinding the aprons, and a connection between the truck and the slip-sheet carriage whereby they are moved together, substantially as specified.

14. In a printing-press the combination with the sheet-delivery mechanism, of a slipsheet carriage and mechanism for reciprocating the same and an automatic sheet-holding device, to said sheet-holding device, such cam being adapted to raise the sheet-holding device above the pile of sheets and then to lower the same upon the top sheet to seize the sheet when stationary or nearly so, and then to raise the end of the sheet as the carriage moves away from under it, substantially as specified.

Signed by me this 19th day of April, 1899. VVAL'IER SCOTT.

Witnesses: I

' Geo. T. PINCKNEY,

S. T. HAVILAND.

and a cam and connection therefrom 

